Grenfell Fire Response News, Issue 11, July 5, 2017

5 July 2017
Issue No: 11

Grenfell Fire
Response News

Housing assessments

We have committed to ensuring that by 5 July everyone from Grenfell Tower
and Grenfell Walk made homeless by the fire will have received an offer of
accommodation. Of the 158 families and individuals we are working with,

139 families have received offers and 19 assessments are still on-going.

Accepting a new temporary home isn’t a decision to be rushed and housing
officers will talk people through the options - nobody will be forced into a
property that isn’t suitable to their needs.

We are making every effort to ensure people have the right support around
them and we want to provide everyone affected by the fire with the following
reassurances.

• Everyone whose home was destroyed in the fire will be offered a
temporary home in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea or a
neighbouring borough.

• Accepting an offer of temporary accommodation will in no way affect your
rights to permanent social housing or your benefits.

• No one will be made intentionally homeless. We will make sure that the
temporary home offered is right for each individual or family.

Anyone who needs help and has yet to come forward should do so by
calling 0800 458 9472 or by visiting the Westway Sports & Fitness Centre
between 10am and 8pm at 1 Crowthorne Road, W10 6RP. More information
is available from the housing line on 020 7361 3008.

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| No action against anyone sub-letting homes j

| Any tenants of Grenfell Tower and Grenfell Walk who were sub-letting i
their home have been asked to come forward and provide information
on who might have been in their flats on the night of the fire. This will
help the authorities understand who was in the building and identify
anyone still missing. The Government has confirmed that anyone who
■ was unlawfully sub-letting their home will not be charged or prosecuted. .

Anyone with information should call 0800 032 4539.

The Home Office will not carry out immigration checks on those coming
| forward to provide information. |

IN THIS EDITION

1 Housing assessments
1 Sub-letting homes

1 Health update

2 Important contacts

2 What help is on offer?

3 New leader of Kensington
and Chelsea Council

3 Public meeting with Grenfell
response team

3 New website

3 Westway assistance

4 What is a key worker?

4 Frequently asked questions
4 NHS support line
4 Support in the community
4 DVLA

What is this newsletter for?

This is the eleventh edition of
the Grenfell Fire Response Team
newsletter. We want to keep
you up to date with all the latest
information and services available
to help.

The newsletter is also available in
Arabic and Farsi languages. For
up to the minute info, please
follow us on Twitter

@grenfellsupport and on
Facebook at facebook.com/
grenfellsupport or visit
www.gov.uk

L

— — -I

Grenfell Fire Response News

5 July 2017

Health update

Public Health England (PHE) is providing specialist advice on health
following the Grenfell Tower fire. This includes health advice on air quality,
water quality and the handling of any waste materials and debris.

Air quality

PHE is constantly monitoring air quality and the latest readings show the
air pollution level near the site continues to be low.

Water quality

Drinking water quality has not been impacted by the fire and tap water is
safe to drink and use as normal.

Waste materials and debris

If you have waste material or debris from the fire at your property, please
contact the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council on 020
7361 3001 to make arrangements for them to collect it.

Air purifiers

Air purifiers, which are generally used to reduce allergens from pets from
the air, are not recommended for use in this situation because larger
particles produced during the fire will have already settled and will not be
present in the air. Larger dust particles settle quickly onto surfaces and are
best removed with a damp cloth.

More advice from Public Health England can be found on their website
atwww.gov.uk/government/organisations/public-health-england

r — — — — — — — — — — — — — -

1 Public meeting with Grenfell I

l Response team I

. Anyone who has been affected by the Grenfell Tower fire is invited to ,

1 attend a Community Public Meeting at Al Manaar, the Muslim Cultural
| Heritage Centre on Acklam Road on Wednesday 5 July from 6pm to |

7.30pm.

1 This will be the first of four public meetings aimed at providing an 1

| opportunity for residents to receive updates from the Grenfell Fire |

Response Team, who will be available to answer any questions and offer
I advice on the support services available.

| The session will also be a chance for those affected by the fire and |

residents from the surrounding community to gather and reflect on the
| tragedy. Representatives from a range of agencies will be on hand to
provide support and guidance.

The meeting will be led by the London Resilience Group with additional
meetings scheduled to take place on consecutive Wednesday evenings |
over the coming weeks.

The full address of the meeting venue is Al Manaar, the Muslim Cultural
Heritage Centre, 244 Acklam Road, W10 5YG.

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I What help is I
| on offer? |

Any family and friends
concerned about their loved
ones are asked to contact the
i Metropolitan Police on 0800 |

i 032 4539. i

Other important contacts

i Bereavement support: Call ■

1 the Freephone helpline on 0808 1

8081677 or email helpline®
cruse.org.uk. The line is open
i 24 hours a day. |

1 Replacement UK passports, 1

visas or immigration queries

Call our advice line on 0300 222
i 0000. The line is open 24 hours. |

Air quality and smoke
exposure: If you have concerns
about any symptoms, please see
i your doctor or call NHS 111. i

NHS Mental health support:

Call 0800 0234 650 or email
i cnw-tr.spa@nhs.net for mental ,

i health support. The line is open i

i 24 hours a day. i

Victim support: Call 0808
i 1689 111 for practical and |

i emotional support, i

i or visit victimsupport.org.uk. ■

1 The line is open 24 hours a day. 1

i Further support is available at ■

the Assistance Centre, Westway
Sports & Fitness Centre,
Crowthorne Road, W10 6RP,
i open from 10am to 8pm. |

You can also call the Red Cross
for 24 hour support on 0800
458 9472.

1 For regular updates please 1

follow us on Twitter at

@grenfellsupport and on
i Facebook at facebook.com/ ,

i grenfellsupport, or visit www. i

i gov.uk i

Grenfell Fire Response News

5 July 2017

New leader of Kensington and
Chelsea Council

Kensington and Chelsea Council has appointed a new leader in the
wake of the Grenfell tragedy.

Councillor Elizabeth Campbell has used her first public statement to
say she is “truly sorry” to local people. She also pledged to “heal the
wounds” in the community.

Ms Campbell said: “The first thing I want to do is I want to
apologise. This is our community and we have failed it when people
needed us the most.

“So, no buts, no ifs, no excuses -1 am truly sorry. ”

The UK Government explains the need
for a public inquiry into the Grenfell fire

Lord Chancellor David Lidington said:

“The public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower disaster has
understandably been the subject of much commentary. People have
every right to feel passionate about this. The community - and the
whole country -want answers following such a horrific tragedy.

“That is why it is right that there should be a judge-led inquiry into
the disaster, and that the residents are consulted before the terms
of reference are decided. Our judiciary is respected the world over
as fair, free from improper influence, and truly independent from
government and Parliament. /As Lord Chancellor, I am clear that their
motives and integrity should always be respected and not impugned
by politicians. I have complete confidence that Sir Martin Moore-
Bick will lead the inquiry into this tragedy with impartiality and with a
determination to get to the truth and see justice done. ”

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! New information website and copies !
| of the community newsletter j

A new website has been created bringing together in one place all
the key information available to support those affected by the Grenfell
i fire. Grenfellresponse.org.uk provides content on issues such as |
i housing, health, financial assistance and childcare support. i

The online hub also includes a list of key contacts to get help and
i support as well as a map of the area showing the Westway Assistance |
i Centre and details of local transport. The site also contains an archive i
1 of all the community newsletters that have already been sent out, as 1
well as translations in Arabic and Farsi.

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Westway assistance
centre

The Westway assistance
centre remains the place to go
if you have been affected by
the Grenfell Tower fire and are
looking for specialist advice and
support.

Dedicated staff from the Red
Cross are on hand at the centre
to provide expert support on
housing, accommodation and
transport and can give help and
guidance on a range of services.

Yesterday there were over 50
enquiries at the centre, with
six newly registered residents
receiving guidance and advice
on the support services available,
which can be on anything from
health to housing.

To date, the Westway Assistance
Centre has registered over 1400
people, and yesterday provided
advice to an average of nine
people an hour.

For practical or emotional
support, please call the Red
Cross helpline on 0800 458
9472. The line is currently
open 24 hours a day but we
are looking at reviewing these
hours. If you have any feedback,
please email support@
grenfellresponse.org

You can still get clothing and
supplies from the donations that
are being held at the Westway
Centre. If you need help getting
to or from the centre, speak to
your keyworker.

The address is Westway
Sports & Fitness Centre, 1
Crowthorne Road, W10 6RP.

Grenfell Fire Response News

5 July 2017

What is a key worker?

There are 236 Key Workers providing
practical and emotional support.

This ranges from help to obtain
documents such as passports
and driving licences, through to
psychological support, as well as
housing, education and health
assistance. Key workers also provide
support in the following areas:

• Transporting children from hotels to
schools.

• Giving people an idea as to
when they will be rehoused as
not knowing this can cause
unnecessary stress.

• Replacing key health related items
such as new braces, walking sticks
and glasses.

• Replacing laptops and mobile
phones

• They also support bereaved
relatives to attend funerals.

To make a request for a Key Worker,
please contact keyworkers@
westminster.gov.uk

The NHS support line

If someone feels they need
support before or after seeing a
GP, they can call the ‘Single Point
of Access’ line which is open 24
hours a day on 0800 0234 650.

The team is there to help as
quickly as they can - they will
answer the call in under a minute
and if anyone requests a call
back, they will call you back
within 30 minutes.

Support in the
community

There is also a team working
in the community to provide
physical and mental health
support, who can help with walk-
in appointments at the Westway
Sports & Fitness Centre, or
visiting someone in a more
suitable location. You can find out
more by calling 07712 231 133.

Frequently asked questions

How long will the Westway
assistance centre be open?

The Westway assistance centre will
remain open for the foreseeable
future. We’re speaking to people
who’ve been directly affected by
the fire at Grenfell Tower to find out
what support they need, when they
need it and where the best place is
for them to access it. We will then
decide how to deliver the services
and support needed.

Are people been forced out of
the borough, or being made
intentionally homeless?

No one is being forced to move
out of London, or being threatened
with being made homeless.

We’re working to find the right
accommodation for those affected
residents, either in Kensington and
Chelsea or neighbouring boroughs.

Will victims have to pay for
outstanding utility bills?

The Government and utility
companies have announced a
package of support for Grenfell
victims across energy, water and
telecommunications. This includes
suppliers agreeing to write off
outstanding utility bills for victims of
the fire, and the support comes on
top of the £5 million fund to pay for
emergency supplies, food, clothes
and other costs. Further details can
be found here: https://goo.gl/yhcniU

How can people find their post?

Grenfell Tower’s post is being held at
Royal Mail’s West London Delivery
Centre, Unit 20-23, 7 Premier Park
Road, London NW10 7NZ (Open
from 8am to 2pm Mon to Sat, 9am
to 1 pm on Sun). There will also be
a collection location at Westway
Sports & Fitness Centre car park.

No ID is required for collection. A
free Royal Mail Redirection service
is available to those affected for
a period of one year. For more
information on these services call
01752 387055.

Where should people call with
information about missing
people?

If anyone needs to report a missing
person or report information, please
use the new incident room number
at 0800 032 4539.

I’ve lost my passport in the fire
and don’t know what to do?

If your passport, British Residence
Permits, nationality, birth and
marriage certificates or visas have
been destroyed as a result of the
Grenfell Tower Fire, then help is still
available to you.

You can meet with an advisor at the
Westway Sports & Fitness Centre,
Crowthorne Road, W10 6RP or call
the 24 hour advice line on 0300 222
0000 to arrange for a call back by
a member of the visa and passport
team.

Will my eligibility for benefits be
affected if I receive the £5,500?

The Department for Work and
Pensions have said that your
income-related benefits won’t be
affected by payments from the fund.
Other benefits, such as Personal
Independence Payments, won’t be
affected either and any payments
from the emergency fund will not be
taxed.

For all other contacts, please
consult our leaflet.

DVLA info

For replacement driving
licences, registration
certificates and all other
enquiries please telephone:

03000830103 - 0800-1700
mon-fri, 0800-1400 sat-Sun.